Air scenting system

ABSTRACT

The instant devices and approach provide a way to provide custom scented fluids (or air freshener) in the form of evaporated scented air and also atomized scented liquids. It combines a vessel capable of constraining scented fluids or air fresheners with a semipermeable membrane for dispersing evaporated scented air and also an atomizer for dispersing scented liquids into the air and thereby eliminates the need for secondary valves.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not Applicable

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTINGCOMPACT DISK APPENDIX

Not Applicable

FIELD

The present application relates to systems for dispensing scentedfluids.

BACKGROUND

Air fresheners are available in many form factors. In particular, thereare automobile air fresheners that come pre-filled with an aromaticliquid that, as the liquid evaporates and becomes a fragrant gas,permeates through a semipermeable membrane.

The problem with these systems is that you are limited to the fragrancesupplied by the vendor and they rely solely on evaporation to supply theamount of fragrance in the air, which may or may not be enough. Forexample, someone eating a fish sandwich in the car may totally overpowerthe scent emitted by evaporation alone coming from the air fresheningdevice. While it may be possible to use a separate spray air freshenerduring periods of intense need, it is highly unlikely that they will beemitting the same fragrance and undesirable effects may occur.

Therefore, there continues to be a need for an air scenting system thatis fillable by the end consumer and also allows for applying a moreintense release of the desired fragrance than is supplied simply do toevaporation.

SUMMARY

In order to overcome the deficiencies in the prior art, systems andmethods are described herein.

One aspect of the claimed invention involves an air scenting systemcomprising a vessel configured to hold an aromatic liquid having atleast two apertures. One aperture is configured to be sealed by one ormore semi-permeable membranes and the other is configured to beconnected to one or more atomizers, whereby both evaporated scented airand atomized scented liquids can be emitted.

Additional aspects involve the end user being able to fill the vesselwith a scent of their own choice.

These and other aspects described herein present in the claims result infeatures and/or can provide advantages over current technology.

The advantages and features described herein are a few of the manyadvantages and features available from representative embodiments andare presented only to assist in understanding the invention. It shouldbe understood that they are not to be considered limitations on theinvention as defined by the claims, or limitations on equivalents to theclaims. For instance, some of these advantages or features are mutuallyexclusive or contradictory, in that they cannot be simultaneouslypresent in a single embodiment. Similarly, some advantages areapplicable to one aspect of the invention, and inapplicable to others.Thus, the elaborated features and advantages should not be considereddispositive in determining equivalence. Additional features andadvantages of the invention will become apparent in the followingdescription, from the drawings, and from the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A-D show, in simplified form, respectively a front, back,exploded, and a partially assembled view; and

FIG. 2 (Prior Art) shows a representative atomizer.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The instant devices and approach provide a way to provide custom scentedfluids (or air freshener) in the form of both evaporated scented air andatomized scented liquids.

FIG. 1A-D show, in simplified form, respectively a front, back,exploded, and a partially assembled view.

In FIG. 1A-B a representative air scenting system 10 is shown. Atomizedscented liquids are stored in vessel 100 and are ejected out ofatomizing port 110 and evaporated scented air is emitted out of ports120. The vessel 100 is shown as encapsulated in cover 130 and attachment140 is shown as a clip but could be any type of attachment or even astand for supporting the device on a table or counter.

In the exploded and partially assembled views of FIGS. 1C and 1Dadditional components and features are visible. Vessel 100 is shown ashaving a plurality of evaporation apertures 112 and one (or more)atomizing apertures 114. One (or more) semipermeable membranes 150 aresealed over the plurality of evaporation apertures 112.

The sealing of the semipermeable membrane 150 over the plurality ofevaporation apertures 112 can be accomplished by direct attachment suchas adhesive, solvent, thermal (e.g. heat, ultrasonic . . . etc.) bondingor indirectly for example similar to the retaining ring of a Mason® jarwhere in this instance there could be a membrane cover (not shown) orthe cover 130 could be configured to capture the membrane 150 aroundit's periphery and then seal to the vessel 100. The capturing of themembrane 150 within the membrane cover can be through any of the processmentioned for sealing the membrane 150 to the vessel 100 or it maysimply capture it do to compression against the vessel 100.

Whether or not compression is utilized to capture the membrane 150, itis particularly advantageous if the membrane cover (or an appropriatelyconfigured cover 130) and the vessel 100 have mating threads (orsimilar) such that the membrane 150, through the use of the membranecover, can be removably sealed to the vessel. This is advantageousbecause it provides a means of the user filling the vessel 100 customscent. This is also particularly advantageous in the event ofcompression as it also allows for the capability of disposable membranes150.

It is worth noting that a refillable semipermeable membrane air scentingsystem, as disclosed above, regardless of whether or not it isconfigured to also atomize scented liquids, is a valuable consumerproduct.

In FIG. 1C additional detail can be seen with regard to attachment 140and its interconnection to cover 130. In particular, a representativemeans of attachment can be observed. Cover 130 is shown as havinginterconnection 132 with a rectangular slot 134. Attachment 140 is shownas having a square mating appendage 142. The square mating appendage 142is advantageous because it allows the attachment to be oriented atperpendicular orientation (e.g. horizontally or vertically). Othershapes such as a round mating appendage 142 would allow the attachment140 to be rotated to any angle. Other interconnection between theattachment 140 and the case 13, such as a hinged attachment, allowingthe attachment 140 to rotate flat against the case 130 are alsoanticipated.

Also shown attached to the case 130 is airflow control 160, which isdesigned to adjust the flow through the evaporation ports 120 and thusregulate the air flowing through the one or more semi-permeablemembranes 150. Airflow control 160 is shown as rotatable louver. While alouver is designed to restrict the air flow, other means of increasingair flow, such an a battery operated fan, are also anticipated.

Returning our attention to producing atomized scented liquids, atomizer12 extends into vessel 110 through atomizing aperture 114 and is shownas pump activated atomizer. While atomizer 12 could be permanentlyattached to vessel 100, for illustration purposes, atomizer 12 isrepresented as removably attachable through mating threads (notdisplayed), which is advantageous in that it allows a different meansfor the user to add a their own scented fluids to the vessel 100.

Atomizers are well known in the art. However, in order to appreciate anunanticipated benefit of the air scenting systems described here in, itis useful to review the basic operation of an atomizer. To this end,FIG. 2 (Prior Art) shows a representative atomizer.

In FIG. 2 a simplified atomizer 20 is represented. It has a bulb 200that when squeezed causes air to rapidly flow out port 210 over the topof tube 220. The rapid flow air passed the top of the tube 220 creates apressure differential (vacuum) between the air 250 above the liquid 230in the vessel 240 and causes the liquid 230 to be drawn up the tube 220and become atomized fluid 260 when it mixes with the air flowing out ofport 210.

What is not appreciated is that if vessel 240 is sealed then every timeliquid 230 is withdrawn then the volume of air 250, above the liquid230, gets bigger. The increase in air volume causes a drop in airpressure above the liquid and creates a vacuum. If enough liquid 230 iswithdrawn then the pressure differential when the bulb 200 is squeezedmay not be sufficient to cause atomization.

To overcome this problem, the simplest solution is to put a hole in thevessel 240 above the liquid 230 such that air can freely flow back intothe vessel 240. However, this is disadvantageous as anyone that has everturned an older perfume bottle upside down and had it leak all over hisor her hand knows.

To overcome this problem people have gone to elaborate lengths andcreated complex systems of valves to open and close at just the rightpoint of the atomization cycle. However, an unanticipated benefit of theair scenting systems described herein is that by combining asemipermeable membrane for evaporation that there is no need for asecondary venting system.

Finally, it is to be understood that various different variants of theinvention, including representative embodiments and extensions have beenpresented to assist in understanding the invention. It should beunderstood that such implementations are not to be consideredlimitations on either the invention or equivalents except to the extentthey are expressly in the claims. It should therefore be understoodthat, for the convenience of the reader, the above description has onlyfocused on a representative sample of all possible embodiments, a samplethat teaches the principles of the invention. The description has notattempted to exhaustively enumerate all possible permutations,combinations or variations of the invention, since others willnecessarily arise out of combining aspects of different variantsdescribed herein to form new variants, through the use of particularhardware or software, or through specific types of applications in whichthe invention can be used. That alternate embodiments may not have beenpresented for a specific portion of the description, or that furtherundescribed alternate or variant embodiments may be available for aportion of the invention, is not to be considered a disclaimer of thosealternate or variant embodiments to the extent they also incorporate theminimum essential aspects of the invention, as claimed in the appendedclaims, or an equivalent thereof.

What is claimed is:
 1. An air scenting system comprising: a vesselconfigured to hold an aromatic liquid and the vessel having at least afirst and second apertures wherein at least the first aperture isconfigured to be sealed by one or more semi-permeable membranes andwherein at least second aperture is configured to be connected to one ormore atomizers; one or more semi-permeable membranes configured to allowgasses containing a fragrance but not liquids to pass through themembrane; and one or more atomizers configured to be attached to thevessel and to atomize the aromatic liquid within the vessel.
 2. Thesystem of claim 1 further comprising an airflow control configured toregulate the air flow passing through the one or more semi-permeablemembranes.
 3. The system of claim 2 wherein the airflow control is anadjustable louvre system.
 4. The system of claim 1 further comprising anattachment mechanism.
 5. The system of claim 4 wherein the attachmentmechanism is a clip designed to attach to the vent of a car.
 6. Thesystem of claim 4 wherein the attachment mechanism is rotateable.
 7. Thesystem of claim 1 wherein the one or more semi-permeable membranes aresealed by an adhesive.
 8. The system of claim 1 wherein the one or moresemi-permeable membranes are sealed by a solvent.
 9. The system of claim1 wherein the one or more semi-permeable membranes are sealed by thermalbonding.
 10. The system of claim 1 further comprising a membrane coverand wherein the membrane cover is associate with the sealing of thefirst aperture and is configure to be connected to the vessel and toseal the one or more semi-permeable membranes when the membrane cover isconnected to the vessel and wherein the membrane cover is vented toallow air to pass through the one or more semi-permeable membranes andout of the vessel.
 11. The system of claim 10 wherein the membrane coveris configured to be removably connected to the vessel.
 12. The system ofclaim 11 wherein the removable connection is through mating threadsassociated with both the vessel and the membrane cover.
 13. The systemof claim 10 wherein membrane cover is connected by an adhesive.
 14. Thesystem of claim 10 wherein the membrane cover is connected by a solvent.15. The system of claim 10 wherein the membrane cover is connected bythermal bonding.
 16. The system of claim 10 wherein the one or moresemi-permeable membranes are sealed by an adhesive.
 17. The system ofclaim 10 wherein the one or more semi-permeable membranes are sealed bya solvent.
 18. The system of claim 10 wherein the one or moresemi-permeable membranes are sealed by thermal bonding.
 19. The systemof claim 1 wherein the aromatic liquid is fillable by an end userthrough the first aperture.
 20. The system of claim 1 wherein thearomatic liquid is fillable by an end user through the second aperture.